Ava smiles now. "Of course, Bea," she says, and she must understand that Beatrice needs slow and steady. "I know I sprung a lot on you the last time we saw each other. In my defence, I thought I was going to die."
"Is that why you kissed me?" Beatrice asks, unable to stop herself, and she actually winces at the thought that Ava will answer yes.
Ava considers it. "Yes and no," she finally says. "Yes, because I didn't think I would ever get another chance, and I needed to make sure you wouldn't follow me." She chuckles softly. "That didn't work."
"Not in the slightest," Beatrice agrees, because Ava doesn't even know what Beatrice did to be able to get to her. She has no regrets, of course, but the bloodshed will always be at the back of her mind - a testament to just what Beatrice will do to anyone who stands between them.
"And no," Ava continues, "Because I've wanted to kiss you for a long time."
"You have?" Beatrice asks, sounding surprised to her own ears.
"Bea," Ava says. "Did you really not notice?"
"I - maybe. I don't know." She audibly swallows. "I'm very good at explaining even the most obvious thing away. I was terrified you would leave me if you ever knew what I am."
Ava frowns. "What you are?"
Beatrice just shakes her head, not willing to explain.
Ava leans in close. "Well, whatever you are, you should know that I'm a fan," she says. "I'll try not to spring things on you."
"It's literally part of your personality."
"Which you love."
"It's my biggest flaw."
Ava laughs, sounding light and free, and Beatrice truly does love her. "Come on," she says, getting to her feet. "I want some baklava now."
Beatrice gets her baklava, quietly marvelling at her very existence. She hopes there's never a day she actually gets used to this; just being with Ava; just getting to exist beside her.
When the music starts, a band finally taking the stage, the two of them drift closer, Ava nibbling on her baklava as Beatrice holds the paper plate for her. She gets a bit of syrup on the corner of her mouth, and Beatrice wonders if there will ever be a day she feels comfortable enough to kiss it off.
For now, she hands Ava a napkin and watches her clean it herself. They find a spot on the left, surrounded by various other people, and Beatrice feels exposed for a moment before she reminds herself that they have time. There's no great big bad on the lookout for them. They don't actually have to hide in the same way they did before.
Beatrice pulls Ava closer, surprising them both by sliding an arm around her waist. Ava glances at her, visibly pleased, and the two of them settle in to listen to the music. It's mostly folky, which is soft to their ears, and the two of them end up gently swaying side by side.
"This isn't exactly the dancing I had in mind," Ava points out.
"There will be other nights," Beatrice assures her.
"Yeah?"
Beatrice squeezes her waist once, drawing her even closer. "Is it your plan to stay here?" she asks.
Ava keeps her gaze on the stage. "Not really," she says. "I want to go places. I want to see and experience the world."
There's an obvious question Beatrice should ask here, but Ava answers before she can.
"I went to Jillian," she says. "I had to tell her about Michael. We needed to have that conversation. She needed to know his sacrifice meant something." It's still something the two of them need to speak about. "She offered me a place. She offered me many things."
"Freedom."
"Something like that."
Beatrice closes her eyes for a moment. "I've always wanted to see the pyramids," she admits. "Something to tell Yasmine one day."
"We can go," Ava tells her. "We can go anywhere."
"What's on your list?"
"Barcelona," she says. "I've wanted to see Gaudi's work in person. Experience it. Walk through it."
"Times Square," Beatrice adds.
"Table Mountain."
"Let's go to Singapore."
"And Bali."
Beatrice chuckles. "The Great Wall of China."
"Hawaii."
"Should I even point out you generally want to go to coastal places?"
"I enjoy the water," Ava says, which is something Beatrice already knows. "Will you take me to your home?"
"My home?"
"Where you grew up," she clarifies.
Beatrice thinks hard about it. She hasn't returned to her hometown in years. She won't even claim it is where she grew up, because she spent majority of her youth away at boarding school, starting when she was just eight years old.
"It isn't anything special," Beatrice tells her.
"I still want to see it," Ava insists. "I want to know every single thing about you, big and small, whether you deem it important or not."
Beatrice's heart starts to race. "You actually want that?"
"Of course."
Beatrice breathes deeply, dropping her head slightly to rest against Ava's temple. She wants to be closer, but she doesn't know how to ask for that.
Ava sighs, leaning against her a bit more. "I'm really happy you're here," she says, soft enough that Beatrice strains to hear.
"There is literally nowhere else in this world I would rather be," Beatrice says, and she means it with her entire being. It scares her, really, because she's essentially abandoned her sisters and turned her back on her duty.
For now.
Maybe for forever.
